The Importance Of The Reconstruction Era In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

The trials and challenges of African Americans have a long and detailed history. Along with the brutal tales of the southern plantations, African Americans shared the struggles of life after their “divine deliverance.” By the 1960s, and much of the 1970s, Americans faced the ending of a deadly a war, and the emergence of many equal rights organizations. The plight of the African Americans took center stage in the spotlight of American media. Many African Americans, previously treated as second class citizens, demanded equal treatment like that of their Caucasian counterparts. In the story “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker, the characters and story plot artistically demonstrated the events of the Reconstruction Era, the importance of formal education to emancipated slaves, and the divergence from mainstream religion and consciousness.
In the short story “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker explored the results of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation in African American society during the early 1900s. The “Reconstruction Era” marked a time when the United States, especially African American sects, sought to start over again from the aftermath (PBS, 2004). In the allegorical short story, Dee, or “Wangero,” watches the old family dwelling burn until the last dingy gray board lay in ruin--she showed relief (Walker, 1337).

Although laws prohibited many advancements for African Americans, there were many that stood and fought to overcome prejudice through formal education. This attitude continued as political leaders rose to dominance in African American society. Lastly, along with the appearance of political leaders, the urge for religious guidance bore two powerful characters--Elijah and Malcolm. By weaving together opposing characters and themes of an era, Alice Walker is able to lead readers through a turbulent time in American